2.1.5 Thinking Concurrently

Question 1

Coucurent Thinking

Answer 1

• Concurrent thinking is the process of completing more than one task at a given time.
• Does not always mean you have to be working on multiple tasks at once.
• Involves giving ‘slices’ of your time to different tasks.
• Parts of a problem which are related can often be solved concurrently

Question 2

Concurrent Processing

Answer 2

• Concurrent processing and parallel processing are not the same thing
• Parallel processing is when multiple processors are used to complete more than one task simultaneously
• In concurrent processing, each task is given a slice of processor time to make it appear as if tasks are being completed simultaneously.
• In reality, tasks are executed sequentially.

Question 3

Benefits of Concurrent Processing

Answer 3

• The number of tasks completed in a given time is increased.
• Less time is wasted waiting for an input or user interaction, as other tasks can be completed in this time.

Question 4

Drawbacks of Concurrent Processing

Answer 4

• Concurrent processing can take longer to complete when large numbers of users or tasks are involved as processes cannot be completed at once.
• There is an overhead in coordinating and switching between processes, which reduces program throughput.
• Just as with parallel processing, not all tasks are suited to being broken up and performed concurrently.